Researchers from Harvard University have discovered that working as a taxi driver or an ambulance driver reduces the risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease. This is detailed in a study published in the British Medical Journal.
The experts analyzed data from nearly 400 different professions and concluded that individuals in these two specific occupations are less likely than others to die from this condition. However, bus drivers did not fall into the protected category—according to the researchers, this is because their routes rarely change and do not require constant spatial orientation.
According to the study’s authors, the regular need to plan routes and navigate space has a positive effect on brain health and lowers the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. The scientists note that the training of London taxi drivers, which involves studying the city, leads to an increase in the hippocampus—the brain region responsible for memory and navigation. This area is the first to be affected as Alzheimer’s disease progresses.
At the same time, the researchers acknowledge several caveats. Taxi drivers and ambulance drivers generally die at a younger age, and since the risk of dementia increases with age, the statistics may have been skewed—simply because many people in these professions do not live to old age, when the disease typically manifests. Nevertheless, even after the scientists adjusted the calculations for age, the protective effect of such work was confirmed.
Professor Hugo Spiers from University College London explains that education, intellectually demanding work, and continuous mental activity create a kind of “cognitive reserve” that shields the brain from age-related changes. Neurology specialists advise regularly practicing orientation skills to prevent dementia—by spending time in nature and choosing to navigate without GPS. It is also noted that walks in the forest, physical activity, and social interaction have been proven to reduce the risk of developing dementia.
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